Powered fastener driver

Abstract

A powered fastener driver includes a magazine in which fasteners of a first length or fasteners of a second length greater than the first length are receivable. The magazine includes a shear block located at a first end of the magazine, a loading portion located at a second end of the magazine, and a feed channel extending lengthwise through the magazine between. The loading portion of the magazine includes first and second slots configured to receive fasteners of the corresponding first and second lengths for entry into the feed channel, and a feed channel access gate configured to prevent fasteners of the first length from being loaded into the second slot. The feed channel access gate is configured as a pivot member pivotable about an axis between a first, blocking position, and a second, bypass position. A spring biases the feed channel access gate toward the blocking position.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A powered fastener driver comprising:
 a magazine in which fasteners of a first length or fasteners of a second length greater than the first length are receivable, the magazine including
 a shear block located at a first end of the magazine, 
 a loading portion located at a second end of the magazine opposite the first end, and 
 a feed channel extending lengthwise through the magazine between the shear block and the loading portion; 
 
 wherein the loading portion of the magazine includes a first slot and a second slot that are each configured to receive fasteners of the corresponding first and second lengths for entry into the feed channel, and a feed channel access gate configured to prevent fasteners of the first length from being loaded into the second slot; 
 wherein the feed channel access gate is configured as a pivot member pivotable about a pivot axis between a first, blocking position blocking access to the second slot and a second, bypass position permitting access to the second slot; and 
 wherein the powered fastener driver further comprises a spring formed separately from the pivot member that biases the pivot member toward the blocking position. 
 
     
     
       2. The powered fastener driver of  claim 1 , wherein the pivot member includes a blocking tab configured to obstruct a portion of the second slot when the pivot member is in the blocking position. 
     
     
       3. The powered fastener driver of  claim 2 , wherein the blocking tab includes an inclined portion inclined toward the second end of the magazine and configured to move the pivot member further toward the blocking position when a fastener of the first length is loaded into the second slot. 
     
     
       4. The powered fastener driver of  claim 2 , wherein the pivot member includes a ramp configured to engage a tip of the fasteners of the first length or a tip of the fasteners of the second length. 
     
     
       5. The powered fastener driver of  claim 4 , wherein when a fastener of the first length is inserted into the first slot, the tip of the fastener of the first length engages the ramp and moves the pivot member to the bypass position. 
     
     
       6. The powered fastener driver of  claim 5 , wherein when a fastener of the second length is inserted into the second slot, the tip of the fastener of the second length engages the ramp and moves the pivot member to the bypass position. 
     
     
       7. The powered fastener driver of  claim 4 , wherein when a fastener of the first length is inserted into the second slot, the tip of the fastener of the first length does not engage the ramp and the pivot member remains in the blocking position. 
     
     
       8. The powered fastener driver of  claim 4 , wherein the ramp includes a first chamfer inclined away from the second end of the magazine by a first chamfer angle. 
     
     
       9. The powered fastener driver of  claim 8 , wherein the blocking tab includes a second chamfer inclined toward the second end of the magazine by a second chamfer angle that is greater than the first chamfer angle; and
 wherein the second chamfer is configured to move the pivot member to the bypass position by engagement with the tip of one of the fasteners of the first length and the fasteners of the second length. 
 
     
     
       10. The powered fastener driver of  claim 1 , wherein the pivot member is coupled to the magazine by a pin that defines the pivot axis. 
     
     
       11. The powered fastener driver of  claim 1 , wherein the pivot member includes a pair of parallel pivot arms spaced apart by a distance, each pivot arm including a pivot aperture of a diameter, wherein a ratio of the distance to the diameter is greater than 1.5. 
     
     
       12. The powered fastener driver of  claim 1 , wherein the feed channel defines a feed direction along which the fasteners of the first and the second length are inserted into the magazine, and the pivot axis is parallel to the feed direction.